Anthrax outbreak in Issan?

[Kinnock]

There's a report today on the very popular 'Drama Addict' Facebook page about the death of a cattle farmer in Mukdahan caused by Anthrax.

 

I was aware of Anthrax in Lao, but I thought there'd been no cases in Thailand for years.  But I can't find any reports of this current case in the news.

 

Anyone heard anything about a recent Anthrax case in Thailand?

 

I used to work in public health so was just interested in the reported outbreak.

 

 

[Kinnock]

Reports today saying 247 contacts being treated as a precaution after the anthrax cases in Issan.

 

[kickstart]

You first have to find out how the Anthrax spores were spread to kill the farmer, a grazing cattle beef animal? cattle and goats would be most suspect here in Thailand, but other wild animals can spread it, contact with an infected animal can spread the spoors vie a cut or scrape can cause Anthrax.

About 30 years ago now in my area farmer found a dead dairy cow in his field one morning, so a lot of the locales had some of the meat, a few became sick, went to the local hospital, tests found out it was Anthrax no one died, but that is one-way spoors are spread.

I live in a big dairy cattle area, to my knowledge we have had no cases of Anthrax just recently, but we would not be likely to know ,a farmer finds ,say a dead cow etc. one day ,he will just ring up the local knacker man who will just take it away ,no tests will be done on the animal.

As you know Anthrax spoors can last a lot of years in the ground, one reason it can be so deadly 

 

 

[thesetat]

15 minutes ago, kickstart said:

You first have to find out how the Anthrax spores were spread to kill the farmer, a grazing cattle beef animal? cattle and goats would be most suspect here in Thailand, but other wild animals can spread it, contact with an infected animal can spread the spoors vie a cut or scrape can cause Anthrax.

About 30 years ago now in my area farmer found a dead dairy cow in his field one morning, so a lot of the locales had some of the meat, a few became sick, went to the local hospital, tests found out it was Anthrax no one died, but that is one-way spoors are spread.

I live in a big dairy cattle area, to my knowledge we have had no cases of Anthrax just recently, but we would not be likely to know ,a farmer finds ,say a dead cow etc. one day ,he will just ring up the local knacker man who will just take it away ,no tests will be done on the animal.

As you know Anthrax spoors can last a lot of years in the ground, one reason it can be so deadly 

 

Unfortunately, the farmer would have the meat cut up and eaten and sold. I seriously doubt they would be taking the carcass to a doctor and paying for testing. They simply would not want the loss of income nor the expense to learn what caused the death. 

 

[NativeBob]

Good source of information: Facebook post!

Anthrax is deadly, very deadly. And going to local hospital is just a waste of time. better arrange a visit to local undertaker and take care of coming BBQ session.

[Moonlover]

It's reported right here in The Nation:

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40049453

[NativeBob]

7 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

It's reported right here in The Nation:

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40049453

Thanks for update @Moonlover. Now its getting scary

[jts-khorat]

I have been to many slaughters of cows and buffaloes here in Isaan. If done in the village, a group of families will share the meat, and those doing the actual slaughtering will get some of the best parts. Best parts are, besides others, from the heart, part of the liver and the backside right before the tail, which will be eaten raw.

 

Looking at the list of usual symptoms happening, I could guess, a lot of the often unexplained and rapidly deadly sick cases one hears about in the villages could be easily coming from this or one of the many other zoonotic diseases people pick up when they are in direct contact with sick animals and uncooked meat.

 

Actually, the biggest risk in Isaan is not beef, but raw fish (liver cancer resulting from fish flukes is the most common reason for death in the over 60s age group in Isaan), not properly cooked crabs and of course improperly cooked pig. I basically know nobody who has not fairly often a prophylactic intake of medicine against tape worms (as do I -- Fugacar = Mebendazole). I guess, just part of living an agrarian lifestyle.

[NativeBob]

Well, Those are good news for booming Thai tourism industry. Not!

[dinsdale]

People die from anthrax every year. It happens. Look it up.  It's pretty rare.

[Kinnock]

2 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Good source of information: Facebook post!

Anthrax is deadly, very deadly. And going to local hospital is just a waste of time. better arrange a visit to local undertaker and take care of coming BBQ session.

The 'Drama Addict' Facebook page is well known for getting news before the regular media, and the site is sometimes quoted on regular news programmes.

 

And in this case his report was correct and beat the mainstream news by a day.  The same FB page had reported about Anthrax cases in Laos near the border with Thailand last week.

 

Not everything on Facebook is fake ..... nearly everything, but not all.

 

It looks like an isolated cluster, but as other posters have mentioned, the spores last for many years, so could be an ongoing risk, especially as the 'village-style' slaughter practices may have been less than hygienic.

[NativeBob]

Thanks @Kinnock. I just thought that referring to FB is a bit ... hm... not-so-serious. 

However, Anthrax is something to worry, right?

[Kinnock]

13 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Thanks @Kinnock. I just thought that referring to FB is a bit ... hm... not-so-serious. 

However, Anthrax is something to worry, right?

Anthrax is not going to spread like Ebola or foot and mouth, and most cases are limited to people involved in animal slaughter or farming, but the fatality rate can be high if treatment is late, and there can be secondary cases years later if the spores are spread about.

 

There was a famous case years ago where traditional shaving brushes made from animal hair caused an outbreak.  So the local government officers will need to make sure the carcase and all byproducts are disposed of correctly.

 

The source animal may have been bought on the cheap from over the border, so there may not be an issue with Thai cattle.

 

My personal interest was because I was taught about Anthrax on my Public Health course aeons ago .... but I've never seen a real case as it's very rare in the West.